Valve attachment for oil-wells.



J. M. REEUB.

VALVE ATTACHMENT FOR OIL WELLS.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 31, 1908.

902,686. Patented N013, 190s.

iiiiiiiim l n in barren s rarns PnLTENT orrrca JOHN MILLER REEOE, OFGHANUTE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN F. WILOOX AND ONE-THIRDTO CHARLES '1. AMES, OF Ol-IANUTE, KANSAS.

VALVE ATTACHMENT FOR OIL-WELLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application filed January 31, 1908. Serial No. 413,697.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN MILLER REECE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chanute, in the county of Neosho and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve Attachments forOil-\Vells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists of novel means for use in connection with water,oil, gas, or like wells for controlling the flow therefrom. In itsparticular adaptation the invention embodies an attachment to be appliedpreferably to the upper end of the well casing, and suitably anchored insuch position, peculiar valve mechanism being provided to regulate orcut off the flow of oil, gas, or the like, from the well.

For a full understanding of the invention and the advantages thereof,reference is to be had to the following detail description, and to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the invention; Fig. 2is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken about on the line 22 ofFig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation; and Fig. i is a detail perspectiveview of the valve and parts connected therewith.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in the drawings anddescription.

Specifically describing the construction and operation of the invention,and referring to the drawing, it is contemplated to provide anattachment to be secured to the well casing and consisting essentiallyof the spaced sides 1 provided upon the inner faces thereof withlongitudinal grooves or guides 2. The sides 1 are connected together bymeans of bolts 3, the latter being of a suitable length to permit acertain amount of movement of the sides toward and from each other.Adjacent to one end of the device is arranged a cross piece t'theopposite end portions of which are mounted to move freely in openings 5formed in corresponding adjacent ends of the side members 1. In otherwords, the cross piece 1- is mounted loosely on the members 1 by meansof the openings 5, hence not interfering with any adjustment of themembers 1 varying the relative positions of the latter.

Passing through the cross piece t is an adjusting screw 6 the inner endof which has a swivel connection at 7 with an end portion of a valve 8mounted for slidable movement in the guide grooves or channels 2 of theside members 1. The valve 8 has its longitudinal edge portions bevelednear the upper side thereof, as shown at 9, and correspondingly, theuppermost portions of the guide grooves 2 are beveled as shown at 2 fora purpose to be hereinafter described.

The valve 8 is supported upon a plate 10 the edges of which project intothe guides 2 of the side member 1, said plate 10 being arranged above atwo part clamp 11, and preferably secured thereto. The upper face orside of the plate 10 and the under side of the valve 8 are in contactand these contacting surfaces will be made perfectly true and smooth sothat a tight joint will be provided when these parts are forced hardtogether by movement of the side members 1 toward each other, which. maybe eifected by tightening the connections 3 between said members. Theclamp 11 which is composed of two parts, the latter secured together bysuitable nuts and bolts, is adapted to receive between its parts theupper end of a well casing 12. Preferably the clamp parts aforesaid havea threaded connection 13 with the well casing 12, the latter beingthreaded for this purpose, such connection being substantial anddesirable in order to secure the attaching device in place. If foundnecessary, additional securing means may be employed to attach the clampand well casing together, and the former will preferably be anchored bysome substantial anchoring means to eliminate likelihood of accidentaldisplacement thereof by the force of the confined. fluid in the well. 7The side members 1 are thickened transversely at the middle portions ofthe same to increase the strength thereof at the points where the guidegrooves are located.

The valve 8 is operable by turning the screw 6, and for this purpose acrank, wrench, wheel, or similar device may be applied to the squaredouter extremity of the screw. lVhen the valve is adjusted so as toextend over the upper end of the casing 12, as shown in Fig. 2, thelatter is closed and the closure made practically air tight byadjustment of the nuts of the bolts 3 so as to force the side members 1of the attachment toward each other. This action causes the contactingbeveled portions 9 and 2, of the valve and side members respectively, toso cooperate with one another to force the valve down tightly upon thesupporting plate 10. Hence, though the valve 8 is freely slidablelongitudinally between the side members 1, said members 1 are operablein an advanta geous manner described above to effect downward movementof the valve and establish the tight connection which eliminateslikelihood of escape of the fluid contents of the well, in an evidentway.

The valve 8 however, not only performs the function of a cut off valve,but is otherwise advantageously employed in an auxiliary capacity. Saidvalve 8 is provided with an outlet opening in which is tapped an outletpipe 14, to which an elbow or any length of pipe may be attached and allconnections put in preparatory for the regular flow of oil or gas, whilethe well is closed, or flow out off. Ordinarily much time is lost inmaking the distributing connections while the oil or is flowing from thewell, not to say anything of the loss of the oil or gas which escapes inthis operation. In the present in vention the pipe line connections mayall be made with the pipe 14 and opening in the valve 8 so that it isonly necessary to operate the screw 6 and move the valve into a positionin which communication is established between the casing 12 and the pipe14L, whereupon the fiow of gas or oil will commence without loss of timeor escape of the contents of the well in a wasteful manner. Thesupporting plate 10 is of course provided with an opening to registerwith the opening in the valve 8.

The novel and advantageous features of the present invention will berecognized from the foregoing, and it is to be understood that theconstruction of the invention may be modified in accordance with thebroad spirit thereof, and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In valve controlling means for oil wells, an attachment embodyingspaced sides, a valve, means for actuating the valve to ef fect openingand closing movement thereof, and means for varying the relativepositions of the sides and thereby effecting movement of the valve at anangle to its opening and closing movement.

2. In valve controlling means for oil wells,

an attachment embodying spaced side members provided with guides, avalve arranged between the side members, means for effectinglongitudinal movement of the valve in the guides of the side members, asupporting member arranged in contact with a side of the valve andhaving an opening therein, and means for drawing the side memberstogether, whereby the contacting surfaces of these members and the valvecause movement of the latter at an angle to its longitudinal movement,increasing the frictional contact between the valve and the supportingmemher in engagement with a side thereof.

3. In valve controlling means for oil wells, a support embodying spacedside members, connections between said side members, 'a longitudinallysliding valve movable between the side members, the side members andvalve having contacting surfaces, and means for adjusting theconnections between the side members, the contacting surfaces of thevalve and side members being beveled so as to cause movement of thevalveat an angle to its sliding movement on adjustment of theconnections between the side members.

4. In valve controlling means for oil wells, an attachment embodyingspaced side members, adjustable connections between the side members, avalve longitudinally slidable with its longitudinal edges in engagementwith the side members, a supporting plate mounted on the side membersand having its upper surface in contact with the under side of thevalve, clamp means connected with the side members for securing the sameto a Well casing, the valve and the supporting plate being provided withopenings adapted to register, a distributing pipe connected with thevalve at its opening, and means for actuating the valve, the engagingportions of the side members and valve being beveled whereby when theconnections between the side members are adjusted the valve will beforced downwardly into closer contact with the supporting plate.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MILLER Witnesses:

O. M. BROBST, J OHN F. WILoox.

